Ghana needs a new leadership response to crisis – Dr Mensa Otabil

• Posted on August 15, 2014August 15, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Head Pastor of the International Central Gospel Church Dr Mensa Otabil has called for a new leadership response to crisis situation in Ghana.

In a short but thought provoking message at the festival of ideas 2014, Dr Otabil said there is the need for a decisive leadership response, one that follows the rules and seizes the urgency of the moment to save a sinking situation.

He was convinced Ghana’s boat was sinking and needed measures that were “intentional, decisive and methodical” in saving the sinking boat from choppy waters.

In a playback of the famous Titanic story, not the one of love and romance, played out in the 1997 movie or sang so soothingly by Celine Dion, Dr Otabil gave a chilling account of how three captains of three different ships, including the Titanic, reacted when Titanic was sinking.

According to him, the captain of Titanic, Smith who had a brilliant career and chosen to captain the titanic on its maiden voyage believed the ship was impregnable and unsinkable and therefore side-stepped all routine drills. Even when the ship had hit an iceberg, his attitude was first dismissive then haphazard leading to significant loss of lives.

The captain of  the second ship -California- saw the signals from Titanic, and instead of moving to save lives he thought the Titanic was unsinkable and that if anything, the occupants were in the celebratory mood. He looked on while people perished.

The third ship-Carpethia – which was even further away interpreted the signals correctly and travelled quickly through the night and at great risk to the scene of the accident.

“He rescued about 700 people,” Dr Otabil recounted, saying “on a night of great tragedy where several thousands died came a decisive leader who saved people.”

He said Ghana is heading towards a crisis situation, and even if the use of the word crisis was subjective, the general view is that “all is not well.”

Comparing the cedi to the first rickety car he bought, Dr Otabil said the “cedi has a mind of its own” and chooses to behave the way it likes.

He said given the historical analysis of Ghana it  “appears we are on a permanent trajectory of deterioration.”

“I find it difficult to see how things will get back to normal,” he hinted and charged all to “always prepare for the worst”

“Instead of hoping everything will be alright it is time to face reality things will get worse,” he warned but said there was the need for the leadership traits of the captain of Carpethia to be shown in this trying times.

“”We cannot afford to be perplexed and so overwhelmed by what we see that we end up frozen into inaction,” he said, adding “we may not be able to save everything but we will save something.”

By: |Nathan Gadugah